INNOVATION CHALLENGE
What is AUC Innovation Challenge?
AUC Innovation Challenge (iChallenge) is an annual competition, led by the Office of Assistant Provost for Innovative Learning Experiences. The competition fosters creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship among AUC students. Throughout the six-months experience, multidisciplinary teams develop innovative solutions, addressing some of the world’s most pressing social, economic, environmental and institutional challenges, with strong support from the Innovative Learning Experiences team, and an experienced network of AUC faculty members and alumni.
Why join AUC iChallenge?
AUC Innovation Challenge presents a unique opportunity for students to participate in creating a sustainable future that is more creative, collaborative, connected and human-centered.
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Real-life Impact
iChallenge invites participants to integrate their academic, research and social skills, and interdisciplinary knowledge to solve complex real-life challenges and help us reimagine our future.
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Innovation and Future of Work Skills
Participating teams will be invited to partake in a series of innovation workshops on design thinking, innovation management, business modeling, among others that will help them develop crucial future-of-work skills.
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Community Collaboration
iChallenge is an invitation to the whole AUC community to work together and collaborate across boundaries to discover and create new possibilities.
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Visibility and Exposure
Throughout the competition, iChallenge teams will be showcased on our social media and other AUC media outlets. Finalists will be invited to present and participate in an awarding ceremony at AUC Research and Creativity Convention (RCC).
Impact Paths
Teams will design solutions tackling challenges in the following impact areas. Challenge categories may include, but not limited to:
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Promoting Health and Wellbeing
Access to healthcare, digital and connected health, preventative health, healthcare decision making, occupational health, longevity, assistive design, lifestyle, nutritional health.
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Reimagining Future Living
Smart cities, sustainable energy, mobility, climate change management, sustainability, resource management, sustainable agriculture, sustainability and the living environment, sustainability and human behavior.
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Advancing Social Equality
Future governance, diversity and inclusion, poverty, economic development, access and equity, food security, education.
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Enriching Culture and Identity
Cultural heritage and representation, cultural awareness and education, cultural identity, vulnerable and threatened communities.
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Open Track, for challenges that transcend theme categories
Business innovation, consumer products, banking and finance, supply chain management, infrastructure development, cybersecurity and digital forensics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, AUC campus challenges.
Application and Eligibility
Who can apply?
Sophomores, juniors and seniors of all majors are encouraged to apply. Multidisciplinary teams will be formed to tackle the challenge from diverse perspectives, and ensure the creation of innovative holistic solutions.
How to apply?
Students can apply as individuals or in teams. All teams must be multidisciplinary, with a maximum of two students from the same major in each team. Individuals and small teams will be grouped in teams of five, based on their selected impact paths, academic background, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
Information Session
If you are interested to learn more about the competition and our impact paths, join us on Thursday, October 27, 1 - 2 pm in P007, next to Mary Cross Hall and on November 2, 1 - 2 pm in Mary Cross.
iChallenge Timeline
AUC Innovation Challenge will run from November 8, 2022 to April 27, 2023.
Application Deadline — November 5, 2022
October
Oct 27: Challenge Information session (P007 Conference Room).
November
Problem Scoping and Discovery
December
Milestone 1 Submission
January
Insight and Solution Finding
February
Prototyping and Solution Validation
March
Business Modeling
Mar 16: Mock Jury
April
Apr 27: Final Pitch and Awards Ceremony
